I was pulling entire 75 model steering column once and didn't hold it up well enough. the coupler caught the edge of the hole in firewall. Coupler guts blew right through that tiny pin and cap crimp as if it weren't there. Wasn't a very hard impact either. This gave me the idea that the added pin was just a little insurance/protection for production handling and assembly.
In/out play in coupler
- Thread starter Boduke
- Start date
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Just wondering. Wont the pin, or a bolt people put in, engage before the shoes thus rendering the entire purpose of the joint useless? It seems as if the whole
Purpose of the coupling is to allow a modicum of slippage to absorb road vibration. Which a double pinned coupling would eliminate, putting all the stress on the pin rather than the shoes. Just thinking aloud. Thoughts?
mopowers
Well-Known Member
What pin are you referring to?
Safety pin in the coupler. Dowel pin.. not the pin holding coupler to the splines on the box. A coupler with 2 pins ceases to be a coupler, no?
mopowers
Well-Known Member
No. The large pin that holds the shoes in place only holds the shoes in place. The tiny pin only keeps the coupler from falling off. Neither one restricts the action of the coupler itself. You're thinking to hard about it.
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Ha! So i have a tendency to do that. My shrink calls it racing thoughts..Part of my charm.
cudamark
Well-Known Member
^^^^^^^
Agreed, there are 3 pins used here. The big roll pin holds the coupler to the input shaft of the steering gear. The tiny roll pin helps keep the internal guts of the coupler from just falling out. The last pin is the main one that takes a press to install it in the lower end of the center shaft. It is the pivot point for the shoes inside the coupler. None of these pins keep the coupler from sliding or pivoting.
cudamark
Well-Known Member
On a side note here.....if you take the coupler apart, make sure you install those shoes correctly. They aren't square, they're rectangular. If you install them 90 degrees off, you'll have a lot of play in that coupler. Also, take care when removing the cage off the boot. If you deform the cage, they're really hard to get straight again and clamp properly on the coupler housing.
Ok yeH. So my coupler just shoed up. I finally get the safety pin. Now the shoes are rectangles and...one side is round. So now. Im assuming the round side goes inboard with the flat against the body. And if that is the case, they will only fit one way. With long part of the rectangle going up/down perpendicular to the coupler body. Thoughts?
Drawing shows rounded side to box wall. There would be a lot of contact/wear surface if it were flat to flat. Spring clip pushes shoes apart, maintains the small contact as the parts wear. Reliefs in/on the corners is another clue.
mopowers
Well-Known Member
Loose fit. At least 3/32. but if thats factory spec then thats how we roll. I guess the grease will take up the slack. Mopar precision!
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That's incorrect. Look at the photos Daves69 posted.
My bad. So... no way in hell its happening without a file. So. For ***** and gigs i orderd a dorman kit as well. Identical parts to the mopar kit. Im wondering if my mopar kit is a repackged china. Or if im supposed to clearance it with a file? Thoughts.
Totally. Packaged mopar kit has a dorman logo on the rubber lid. Fn scumbags on eaby selling Dorman china in mopar package. Box clearly says made in USA. Part clearly labeled china and doesn't fit worth ****.
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cudamark
Well-Known Member
As Mopowers and Daves69 show and mention, the rounded side of the shoe goes against the coupler housing, and the slotted edges go towards the boot and bottom of the coupler respectively. If you turn the shoes 90 degrees from that, there will be tons of slop in your steering.
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Daves69
Well-Known Member
IMO, Check the can for rolled burrs and fit the shoes as needed. The shoes are tapered on the outward corners to allow for the radius in the can corners. The shoes look porous so they shouldn't be too hard to file fit if necessary. The looser they fit the more wheel slop you'll get.
BTW, There's a way to crimp the seal retainer on. It's a PITA especially in a tight location. Most just use the appropriate spring clip.
*** update. I was able to remove all the in/out play (thrust) in the column by loosening the three nuts under the dash and moving the entire thing back a smidge. Im not sure if this is good or bad but it took the play out and steers fine. It may or may not be bottomed out in the coupler. Also, I did have to make adjustment to the automatic shift linkage under the car. Thanks for all the help.
For future reference, try Detroit Muscle Technologies for a coupler rebuild kit. I think i paid $54 for one a few years ago.
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